Greg stepped into the Atrium, scanning the room for Blaise and Draco. He wasn't pleased to be here dealing with Aurors instead of researching in the books he and Cormac had retrieved from Stone Walk. Though, maybe he'd be surprised. He highly doubted it, but stranger things had happened. Not seeing them, he stepped over to the side and prepared to wait. There was no way he would go up alone after Potter had brassed him off so completely yesterday.

Blaise flooed into the Atrium with Draco right on his heels. He saw Greg and immediately headed over to him. "What happened?"

Draco had yet to speak, not to Blaise even. His head was swirling. Vincent had Pansy. If there was ever anyone Draco had not suspected needed protecting in all of this, it had been Pans. He'd spent so much time on Saturday helping Tracey. He was going to get around to checking Pansy's wards. He seriously had been, but he didn't know he needed to worry about her. Hadn't Thomas warned him of the way Crabbe used to watch Pans back in the day? What had Draco done? Dismissed it.

"The sick bastard took her," Greg grumbled. He was feeling guilty, exhausted, and more than a little backed into a corner. Was there something more he could have done? She will be found. Hell, maybe they've found her already. Maybe she's at Weasley's clinic and we missed the owls. "He owled me a note and her amulet- the one I gave her. I warned her. I warned Trace. Hell, I even have River at my flat. What the hell else could any of us have done?"

Draco didn't say anything. He couldn't.

"Look, it's in the past," Blaise said, urging Draco further into the Ministry. "Let's just find out what they're doing right now." They all got into an lift that took them to Level Two. When they got out of the lift, Blaise grabbed a clerk's arm as she was walking by. "I need to go to Auror Potter's cubicle, or desk, or wherever they've stuck him in this building. And I need to go there now. You don't even have to make a sound. Point."

The wide-eyed girl made some wild hand gestures that he vaguely understood before releasing her arm. He guess the three of them were quite intimidating. As they continued on their way, they finally arrived at Potter's office. Blaise knocked politely on the door and took a deep breath. He would be needing it.

"Come in," Harry said dismissively, turning back to look at Natalie. "Are you sure that they're on this case?" After filling in the Aurors and trainees on the case, and grabbing as many as he could from other cases, he and Natalie had returned to his office to get a fresh look at the file.

Natalie didn't even answer Harry. She was looking at what had just filed through his office door. "I think we better pull the Parkinson case."

Harry gave her a look. Natalie nodded her head at the door where Zabini, Malfoy, and Goyle stood. She hoped she recalled her transfiguration properly. She was going to have to turn something into a chair so there'd be three.

Standing slowly, Harry kept his eyes on the three figures in the doorway. "Can I help you three with something?" He saw Natalie stand when he did. Good girl.

"I want to know everything you can tell me about Pansy's case," Blaise said stonily. "I just heard about it, and I only know the basics, but there must be a bit more you've been able to get. I know it's only been two days, but there has to be something." He was trying to keep the desperation out of voice. He had just seen her Saturday. They were both standing in front of his mirror, and now she was gone. He had to get her back. "Please."

What, did Goyle not tell you the same information he told me? As it had been so helpful. "We just found out about her disappearance yesterday evening. She was taken from her house, sometime Sunday evening. She left her wand at home, which leads us to believe she didn't consider who took her to be threatening, as Mr. McLaggan told us she doesn't leave her wand anywhere. She was probably in a rush to see who was at the door, as it is clear the wards on her manor are quite strong. The MLE was informed of her disappearance by owl on Monday night. We were told that the suspect was most likely Vincent Crabbe, which throws us for quite a loop, as we had thought him dead."

Harry was trying very hard to keep his calm. He'd only had the case for twenty hours. What did they expect from him? The only thing he kept thinking was 'what if this was Hermione?'

Greg pulled the note from his pocket and tossed it on Potter's desk. "Figured I'd bring it by in person. That should be proof enough that he indeed does have her." Like you care. She's the daughter of a death eater after all. Damn it, the lack of sleep is getting to me.

Natalie took out her wand and charmed the note into an evidence bag. She then transfigured Harry's dying potted plant into a third chair.

"Any information we get can only help. Why don't you gentlemen sit down."

No one moved.

"Or not. I'll assume you are the only one to handle the missive, Mr. Goyle? Any house-elves or any other persons touch it?" When she noted his look, Natalie explained. "Crabbe is probably working alone. The profile we've worked up on him so far suggests he's a loner-type these days even though he was not always. In the event that someone else handled the parchment, it might give us some clues. Might give us a hint as to where it was purchased or had come from. Like I said, any information we get can only help, even if it's to rule things out."

"I'm actually impressed," Draco muttered.

"So," Natalie repeated. "Who handled it? Just you?"

Greg barely resisted the urge to roll his eyes. He just adored the assumption that he was a mindless idiot. Damn, damn, damn. Paranoid Slytherin here. Paranoid Slytherin running on no sleep. "Of course I was the only one to touch it. It has also been checked for spells, curses, jinxes, and any other magical means of harm. I'm not stupid enough to have not checked it. I would think your scans, or whatever it is you do, won't be affected by mine. And, yes, I have a photograph of the amulet he sent as well." He handed it over as well, not bothering with explaining why he wouldn't hand over the actual amulet. Pansy will need it back. She'll walk through that door any moment now and demand it back.

"So, you tampered with the evidence. That's brilliant." Harry looked over at Natalie. "We'll have to let the people in the department know that the parchment has had rudimentary spells already performed on it." Harry looked back at Greg. "A photograph of the amulet isn't going to be enough, Mr. Goyle. That's not how this works. If you want us to go on something, we're actually going to need to see it."

Goyle had gotten lippy with Natalie for no reason. It was one thing to be worried about your friend and be testy because of that worry. It was another to spout off when you were asked a simple question. Harry turned to look at Blaise and Draco. "Do either of you have any information that may actually help the case?"

Draco was still reeling. He didn't even have enough spark right now to insult Potter. His mind was filled with all the things Vin could be doing to Pans. He cleared his throat. "I could probably help with the profile, fill in some gaps... if that would be helpful. He... um, Crabbe, owled a few weeks ago sending inappropriate gifts. I still have mine, but I don't think it would help, but you lot are welcome to have a look if it will help Pans. He's been in contact with Tracey Davis, but I don't think he told her anything of use. He was just playing her. Um, Dora, I mean, Auror Tonks knows Crabbe returned. She said she would inform the appropriate people. Also, my mother informed me yester that she'd spoken with Madam LeGrot about him. Um... he's obviously been to the Crabbe Estate, but I don't know if he would go back again. Wouldn't be a bad idea to put a guard there if you lot haven't already." Draco sighed. "I'm sorry. I can't actually think properly right now."

Harry looked over at Natalie. That information was actually quite helpful. It was quite possible that Crabbe would visit every Slytherin he knew. Not only that, but knowing he'd been in the area for weeks would have been helpful. Someone was bound to have seen him in that time. As far as Harry had been told last night, his return had been a sudden thing, not something that happened weeks ago. She nodded imperceptibly, signaling that she'd memorized the information as well. "Thank you. That'll actually help a lot."

"He couldn't have had the item he owled with him? Owled it from afar?" Natalie asked.

Draco actually managed a smirk in his worry. "It's not the sort of thing one carries with them when traveling. I'm almost certain he had it stored somewhere at Crabbe Manor."

Natalie nodded. She was actually proud of Harry and Malfoy for not tossing insults, but she had a feeling Malfoy was in some sort of shock currently.

"You are welcome to the gift he sent me as well. I scan every owl that I receive so it may be no help to you," Greg interjected, glancing warily at Draco. He didn't like that Draco seemed to be only half here. "Shall I drop it by later?"

"Oh, I don't think that's necessary," Blaise snapped. "Why don't you send them a picture of that instead, since that's what you did with whatever the hell that piece of jewelry was. Crabbe just touched that amulet and there might be residue on it if it wasn't zapped by any spells or dusted off accidentally. There could be a clue, Greg. This is Pansy we're talking about. Pans!" Blaise started pacing. "I fucking saw her the day before she was taken by that monster! She was right in front of me! And now she's gone. I will get on my knees and beg Potter if I have to move this thing along, because I love her and to even think he's been looking at her makes me so sick to my stomach I can barely stand it."

He closed his eyes and nearly let his tears fall. "Please, just put aside whatever problems you have and let's get her back, alright?"

Greg glared, hard. Damn it all. If it tosses him, I hope Maeve and Riv bail me out. Does this mean that Pansy's not coming back? Please, Gods, no. "Fine, if it throws Potter here across the room then don't say I didn't try to stop it." He pulled the pouch holding the amulet from his pocket. It wasn't like the Ministry would even be able to recognize the magic in the amulet anyway. He wasn't sure if it would react to Potter, but if it did oh well. "And don't you fucking preach to me, Blaise. I'm the one that tried to protect both Pans and Trace. I just don't know that I trust Potter to actually look for her. Sorry if that offends you. He's the one that made a crack about Pansy likely being a death eater yesterday. Ask McLaggen if you don't believe me. I want her found. Don't ever insinuate differently, are we clear?"

"So you're insinuating that I didn't try to protect them like you were? Oh, I'm sorry, who was the one who fucked off for five years and abandoned them?" Blaise shouted in reply.

"Enough!" Harry shouted. He grabbed the pouch out of Greg's hand and emptied the contents into his palm. It was small and black and had a-

"Is that a Native American symbol?"

Harry looked over at Natalie. She probably read about this in one of her books. Anytime he walked into her cubby, she was reading her sodding trainee books. Harry had never been one for books. He pushed his hand out. "Do you recognize it?"

Natalie directed her wand and bagged the amulet as well. Just in case. She peered at it. "It looks vaguely familiar. I'd have to consult my texts. Or I could talk to one of the fellows in the Department of International Cooperation. They deal with stuff from other parts of the world all the time. I'll put in on my to do list for as soon as we're finished here." She looked at Zabini. "I'll also get one of the blokes who deals with this sort of thing in the Department of Mysteries to have a look-see. See if he magically got it from her? Might not find anything, then again, we just might. I'm not going to make any promises, but I am going to say we're going to try. It's different when you've met the person and have been in their home. Don't think for one second her being sorted into Slytherin or her father being who he was has any sort of effect on me. This is my job, and I don't want to have to tell my boyfriend I couldn't help find one of his friends - no matter how much I dislike some of her friends."

Draco snorted then. Oh if only everyone had her supposed lack of bias, but he was grateful that she seemed more driven and job-oriented as opposed to holding grudges. He'd like to think Potter would not neglect this just because Pansy was his good friend, but Draco could not be certain. The little bit here though? Her he believed.

"It's a raven." Greg offered. Hello, ask the one who can tell you everything! If it helps Pans... "Its the totem of the Runningwolf clan. The amulet itself is protective in nature. Michael Dangeli of the Nisga’a, Tlinget and Tsimshian Nation made it specifically for Pansy at my request. The actual spells, if you will, were placed on it by a Cherokee shaman. Does that help?"

"It does." Harry watched as Natalie jotted something down on a piece of parchment. Goyle should have given this to me last night instead of snarling at me and telling me that no, I couldn't have it. We could have already performed the tests. He seems to be full of knowledge today. "We'll look into how he got around it, as it's obvious it didn't work for some reason." He turned back to the three men in the doorway.

"Could be a number of things," Natalie said, just thinking aloud, not really addressing anyone. "She could have touched him first. He could have spelled it off of her somehow, but a test will tell that. If it was not impervious to the Imperius, he could have instructed her to remove it. Sort of like in vampire lore... when you invite one into your home, you negate any power you had over them if at all. She could have invited him in some way. Maybe not even meaning to." She looked up then. All four men in the room were looking at her with varied expressions. "Sorry, thinking aloud, trying to work the puzzle. Ignore me."

Draco looked at Blaise, but didn't say anything.

Blaise sighed and crossed his arms. "That's all we can ask for at this point. If you have any information, or need any, I'll be at the clinic during the day. We'll both be at my place at night. Draco can key you into our new wards, if he can manage not to blow anything up this time," he ended with a smirk. He needed humor right now, or he might very well crack right in Potter's office.

"How many times do I have to say that was an accident?" Draco snapped at Blaise. "Thank you, McDonald." Then added, "Potter," with a nod. Draco could not quite bring himself to thank Harry Scarhead Potter for anything, but if being civil would get Pansy back unharmed, he was willing to go that far, distasteful though it was. He left then, anxious to get out of the Ministry and do some looking of his own - after he told a few others what was going on.

"McDonald, Potter, I'll bring by the things sent to me as soon as possible," Greg said before turning to follow Draco out. He had another stack of books to search through, but he'd rather have the shirt and letter in McDonald's hands quickly.

Harry watched as the three Slytherins left his office. He turned to look at Natalie. "Should have had you there from the beginning. Apparently he'd rather give us information 12 hours after we needed it and trust a trainee." Harry grinned. "No offense."

"I don't think it's because I am a trainee, Harry," Natalie said with a grin. "I think it's because I'm a girl. I wasn't kidding when I said I think he just deals with women better sometimes. No offense. I also wasn't kidding when I said I was serious about finding Pansy, so I'm going to take that amulet down to Sully in the Department of Mysteries right now."

"Sully?"

"Adhemar Sullivan. Other spiritual magic is a hobby of his. Specifically Native American and Romanian Gypsy."

That said, she was off. Natalie passed the Slytherin boys... who looked deep in conversation.

Draco was silent as they left. He was thinking too hard right now to talk just yet, but other people weren't so quiet.

"I am so glad we've gotten over our Hogwarts days," Blaise said sarcastically as he snatched his wand from the witch who was checking in wands in the Atrium. "Next you'll be telling me you won't help the case for Pansy because Potter is a Gryffindor, which, quite frankly, is the most idiotic thing I've ever heard. Because this is Pansy, who is dating a Gryffindor." He kept glaring at Greg. "I'm surprised Potter gave us any information at all. It actually sounds like he gave us all he knew, which is quite sad, because you seemed to become a fountain of knowledge in the middle there."

He stalked up to Greg and growled. "And don't you dare say I was 'preaching' at you. Who was it who got mad at me the first time we saw each other in five years? We meet up for drinks, and within five minutes you're storming off again because I didn't keep detailed tabs on my girls, so I decide to let you take over again. They were perfectly safe for five years with you. Now look what's happened."

"It's my fault," Draco said in a lifeless tone. "If I had not come back, he might not have turned up. Also, Thomas sort of warned me that Pansy might have been a target, and I blew it off. I didn't think he could be right."

Greg's eyes narrowed and he glared at Blaise. "Draco, it's not your fault any more than it is mine. He's insane, bottom line. As for you," he said, pointing at Blaise. "You can fuck off. You never asked why I left or if I had any choice about it. Furthermore, you want to blame the one that told Pans over and over to be wary, to have the goblins strengthen her wards, then fine. You didn't see how listless they both were, now did you? I'm done. Draco, you're always welcome at the flat. I'm done here."

He was so mad at everything... at Pansy being gone, at nothing being done, at the lack of information. Blaise just snapped.

"That's always like you, Goyle. Always... running... away." Blaise smirked and inched his hand towards his wand.

"I don't care why you left or if you had a choice, Greg. That's why I didn't ask. I did you a favor by taking care of your 'girls'," he air-quoted, " while you were playing the happy Indian, and I know exactly how listless they were. Hell, Tracey snuck out of the house to see me, because someone kept coddling her, and she was tired of it. We invited Pansy over and had a grand old time." And he seriously hoped Draco wasn't offended by that last bit. Surely the blond knew him well enough to know he was just itching for a fight.

"Well, Zabini, this isn't me running. This is me leaving before I lose my temper and beat you bloody regardless of us being in the Ministry. You want to push someone, control someone? Fine, go find someone else because it sure as hell won't be me. You know nothing about my relationship with Trace and you made it perfectly clear just now with your word vomit." He turned, still holding in his temper and wondering if everything in his flat was still charmed unbreakable. He really needed to break something or punch something just now. "Like I said, Draco, you are always welcome to stop by."

"You wish you could bloody me. You don't know what I want to do. I'm not the pusher or the controller, now am I? I didn't push Potter's buttons or try to gain the upper hand by controlling the information. This isn't a sick little game; this is Pansy's life." Blaise's voice got louder. "Are you trying to slow them down in there? You just wanted to give them a fucking picture of the amulet? And don't even pull that 'I don't know what it would do' crap, or whatever if it you're thinking. You could have told them where you got it and everything last night when you found out she was gone!"

Blaise pulled his wand. "If we find her, what are you going to tell her? 'Oh, I'm sorry Pansy. You lost a finger? Well, I could have told them more information but I wanted to be a fucking prat instead!"

"That's enough," Draco shouted, no doubt rattling the walls, but he had had it. This bickering was not solving anything. "Save it for later. You two can hash it all out when we find Pans with all her body parts where they ought. I'll even sell tickets. We can make it a charity event and donate half the proceeds to the clinic and the other half to the school. And I swear to Salazar, if either of you say another word in anger to one another before we get out of this building, by the gods, I'll hex you both. You know I can do it."

That said, he stalked ahead of them. Draco was pissed now. Not just at his friends for bickering, but at his former friend for touching something that was his. The only way this could end was ugly and with death.

Blaise stared after Draco, not moving. He looked at Greg. "You honestly think I'll leave it at that. This is a bridge that is burned now. So why don't you do your little 'not running away' and go back home to mummy? Oh wait... I guess you and Potter actually have something in common now, don't you?" He smirked. "Would it make you feel better if I threw the first hex, so it can be self-defense?" He gripped his wand.

"Don't bother," Greg said blandly, clenching his fists. Not worth it, so not worth it. "You aren't worth the time or effort it would take to punch or hex you. Learn where to draw the line, Zabini."

Greg turned, sidestepped Draco, and walked away. Definitely a trip to the gym. It's that or kill the wanker right here in the Ministry.

Draco grabbed Blaise when he attempted to stalk after Greg. "Leave it for now. Please. I ran away too, you know. Left you here holding the bag. He's just upset because we both knew what Vin was capable of, tried to prevent it even, and the unthinkable has happened anyhow."

"It doesn't matter," Blaise said tonelessly. "He's not helping. I'd sell my soul for her and he thinks it's just a game!" He spun around and yanked his arm out Draco's grasp. "I can't go to another funeral, Draco. I can't take anymore death."

"There's going to be just one more," Draco said with a detached look. "But we all already thought he was dead, so no worries there."


{SUMMARY} Greg, Blaise, and Draco head to the Ministry to talk about finding Pansy with the Auror on the case - Harry. He and Natalie get some more information that might prove helpful, but tempers are running a bit high.